This quiche dough recipe is buttery, flaky, and foolproof—exactly what you need for the perfect quiche crust. Whether you’re new to homemade pastry or a seasoned baker, this easy method will help you create a crust that elevates any quiche recipe and leaves guests asking for seconds.
This quiche dough recipe is flaky, quick, and easy—just what you need for the perfect quiche crust. Whether you’re prepping a family brunch or pairing it with my Mediterranean Quiche with Fresh Herbs & Peas, this is your go-to recipe. After over a decade of running a café and baking from scratch, I’ve learned how to make a reliable, buttery quiche crust that delivers every time. I used to prepare individual quiches daily, and that hands-on experience helped me perfect this foolproof quiche dough. Let’s make your crust as memorable as your filling.
Simple Ingredients to Make Quiche Dough:
- All-Purpose Flour: All-purpose flour’s foundation of the quiche dough offers a neutral yet slightly nutty flavor profile. It forms the base for the dough, providing structure and a delicate crumb texture.
- Unsalted Butter: Cold, cubed, unsalted butter contributes a rich, buttery, and slightly creamy flavor to the quiche dough. It’s essential for creating a tender and flaky pastry texture, while its cold temperature helps create layers within the dough during baking.
- Ice Water: Ice water is a critical component of the dough, ensuring it remains cold during mixing. While it doesn’t add flavor, maintaining the butter’s coldness is crucial for achieving a perfectly flaky crust.
- Salt: Salt serves as a flavor enhancer, bringing out the dough’s natural buttery and nutty notes while providing a subtle savory balance to the overall flavor profile. It also helps to strengthen the dough’s structure.
Easy Steps for a Flaky Quiche Dough (a.k.a. Quiche Crust)
Making a perfect quiche dough—or quiche crust—comes down to the right technique and a few simple ingredients. The goal? A buttery, flaky base that holds its shape beautifully without turning rubbery or tough.
In this quick and easy quiche crust recipe, you’ll mix flour, cold butter, and ice water to create a dough that’s simple to work with and reliably delicious.
I like to use a food processor to speed things up, but if you don’t have one, no worries. You can use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to blend the flour and cold butter until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs. Then, gradually add ice water and mix until the dough just comes together.
Gently knead until smooth—but don’t overwork it, or you’ll lose that flaky texture. Shape into a disc, wrap tightly, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before rolling it out for your quiche.
Looking for more tips on getting your crust just right? Check out the “Tips & Notes” section below.
Blind Baking vs. No-Bake Quiche Crust
One of the most important choices when making quiche is whether to blind bake your quiche crust—or skip it and bake it with the filling.
What Is Blind Baking?
Blind baking means pre-baking the quiche dough without any filling. This step sets the crust and prevents it from getting soggy—especially helpful when working with custard-style fillings, which are quite moist.
To blind bake a quiche crust:
- Roll out and fit the dough into your tart or pie pan.
- Line the inside with parchment paper or foil, and fill it with pie weights, dried beans, or uncooked rice to prevent puffing.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) for 10–15 minutes, until lightly golden.
- Remove the weights and finish baking with the filling, if needed.
When You Can Skip Blind Baking
For some quiche variations—especially individual mini quiches or recipes with drier fillings—you can skip blind baking and bake the quiche dough and filling together. This works best when the filling won’t overly moisten the crust during baking.
Quiche Filling Ideas (For Baked & No-Bake Quiche Dough)
Whether you’re working with a blind-baked quiche crust or skipping pre-baking for a dessert-style tart, these filling ideas will help you bring your quiche or pie to life.
For Baked Quiche Dough (Savory Quiche Crust)
- Quiche Lorraine – Bacon, caramelized onions, and gruyère cheese
- Spinach & Feta – Wilted spinach, crumbled feta, and a dash of nutmeg
- Mushroom & Gruyère – Sautéed mushrooms, fresh thyme, and creamy cheese
- Tomato, Basil & Mozzarella – Juicy tomatoes, fresh basil, and mozzarella
- Broccoli & Cheddar – Lightly steamed broccoli and sharp cheddar
These fillings pair beautifully with a crisp, flaky quiche crust and are perfect for brunches, lunches, or a cozy dinner.
For No-Bake Quiche Dough (Dessert-Style Pies)
While technically not quiche in the traditional sense, these sweet tart fillings work beautifully with a no-bake quiche crust or pre-baked pie shell:
- Lemon Cream Cheese – Tangy cream cheese, lemon zest, and powdered sugar
- Chocolate Ganache – Melted dark chocolate and heavy cream, silky and rich
- Vanilla Custard – A smooth mix of vanilla, milk, eggs, and sugar
- Caramelized Onion & Goat Cheese – A savory crossover perfect for light baking
Whether you’re searching for an easy pie dough recipe or a flaky, quick quiche crust recipe that never fails, I hope this quiche dough recipe becomes your go-to favorite.
Need more inspiration? Check out some of my favorite dessert bakes:
- Deep-Dish Apple Pie – A classic for gatherings
- Pumpkin Chocolate Tart – Rich, festive, and perfect for special occasions
Let’s get baking—flaky crusts and delicious fillings await!
Preparation
Combine Flour and Cold Butter
Pulse to Form Crumb Texture
Add Ice Water and Bring Dough Together
Form, Chill, and Rest the Dough
Roll Out the Dough
Fit Dough into Pan and Dock
Blind Bake the Quiche Crust
Bring to Room Temperature Before Filling
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour | |
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed | |
3 tablespoons ice water | |
1/4 teaspoon salt |
Preparation
Measure the flour and add it to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Cut cold butter into small cubes and scatter them over the flour. Using cold butter is key—it creates that signature flaky quiche crust.
Add salt, then pulse the flour and butter mixture in short bursts until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Keep the butter in small, cold pieces—this helps create a flaky quiche crust instead of a dense one.
With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the ice water through the feed tube. Add just enough until the dough begins to clump together. If it feels too dry, add a bit more water—1 tablespoon at a time. Avoid over-watering, or the dough will become sticky instead of smooth.
Pulse until the dough comes together into a rough ball—be careful not to overwork it, or it may become tough to roll. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead just until smooth. Shape into a disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This resting time helps relax the gluten and prevents the quiche crust from shrinking as it bakes.
Remove the dough from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes until slightly softened. Lightly flour your surface and rolling pin, then roll the dough out to about 1/8 inch thick. Rotate the dough as you roll to keep it even and prevent sticking.
Carefully transfer the rolled-out dough to a 9-inch quiche or pie pan. Press it gently but firmly into the bottom and sides, then trim any excess with a sharp knife. For a decorative finish, crimp the edges as desired. Use a fork to gently poke holes across the bottom—this prevents puffing during blind baking, but avoid piercing all the way through.
Line the crust with parchment paper and fill it with pie weights, dried beans, or rice to keep it from puffing up. Pre-bake at 375°F (190°C) for 10–15 minutes until the edges begin to turn golden. Carefully remove the parchment and weights, then bake for another 5–8 minutes to lightly crisp the base.
Before adding your quiche filling, let the crust cool completely and come to room temperature. This simple but important step ensures your filling sets properly and your crust stays perfectly flaky. Don’t skip it—it’s key to mastering the art of quiche!
Recipe Tips & Suggestions
Some tips to follow:
Rana’s Notes!
Nutrition Information
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